{"id":286555,"date":"2023-03-02T13:55:44","date_gmt":"2023-03-02T19:55:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.liveaction.org\/news\/?p=286555"},"modified":"2023-03-02T15:18:54","modified_gmt":"2023-03-02T21:18:54","slug":"attorney-general-blame-local-fbi-raid","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/attorney-general-blame-local-fbi-raid\/","title":{"rendered":"Attorney General of the US puts blame on local FBI for raid on pro-lifer’s home"},"content":{"rendered":"
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On Wednesday, March 1, I attended the Senate Judiciary Committee where several U.S. senators grilled Attorney General of the United States Merrick Garland for abusively weaponizing the FBI against pro-life Americans.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In reaction to the fall of Roe, the Department of Justice under the leadership of AG Garland created the \u201cReproductive Rights Task Force.\u201d Not long after, the FBI raided the home<\/a> of pro-life sidewalk counselor Mark Houck, husband and father to 7 children. He was arrested, charged with federal FACE Act violations, and faced a potential 11-year prison sentence & up to $350,000 in fines for defending his son during an altercation with a Planned Parenthood facility escort. He was eventually acquitted<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, Houck was <\/span>not the only one<\/span><\/i> who has been charged. Over 30 peaceful, non-violent activists have been indicted under the FACE Act<\/a>, facing fines and time behind bars separated from their families.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhy did the Justice Department do this? Why did you send 20-30 SWAT style agents and a SWAT style team to this guy’s house when everybody else had declined to prosecute and he had offered to turn himself in?\u201d demanded Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.).\u00a0<\/span>\u201cThe children were screaming. They feared for their lives.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Next, Hawley noted that this directly contradicts AG Garland\u2019s own memorandum about the use of force at the Justice Department. This memorandum says that officers may only use force that is objectively reasonable to effectively control an incident.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAre you telling me that in your opinion as Attorney General, it was objectively necessary to use 20-30 SWAT style agents with long guns and ballistic shields for these people?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Garland abdicates responsibility saying that \u201cdecisions were made on the ground by FBI agents.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Hawley fires back saying, \u201cYou are the Attorney General of the United States. You are in charge of the Justice Department and yes, sir – you are responsible. \u2026 Do you think it [SWAT- style invasion] was objectively reasonable? They followed your guidelines.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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The FBI, which works under the direction of Attorney General Merrick Garland, came to the home of Mark and Ryan-Marie Houk with 20 heavily armed SWAT officers to arrest Mark for his pro-life advocacy. <\/p>\n

Thank you, Senator @HawleyMO<\/a>, for demanding answers. pic.twitter.com\/D0OkSEqRaw<\/a><\/p>\n

— Lila Rose (@LilaGraceRose) March 2, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n